Saturday, April 22, 2017

I’m not sure there is much I can say about the state of our
world today that hasn’t been said before. Which prompts me to wonder, who will
be around to say it next time?

With all the crises surrounding us—real, unreal, and
delusional—not the least of which jingoism justifying genocidal prerogatives of
every stripe everywhere, it’s ever more difficult to find a comforting symbol
of what the future may hold.

This was prepared a year ago. There is much to add.

For some, it may be that photo of Kid Rock, Sarah Palin, and Ted Nugent taken in the White House this week in front of the portrait of
Hillary Clinton during the group’s four-hour visit, tour, and lunch with
President Trump.According to Mr. Nugent
(as reported in The New York Times),
“the president and his guests engaged in a wide-ranging conversation that Mr.
Nugent said included the following topics: ‘health, fitness, food, rock ’n’
roll, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, secure borders, the history of the United
States, guns, bullets, bows and arrows, North Korea, Russia’ and a half-dozen
other issues.”

Bizarrely, both critics and supporters of the President may
find comfort in knowing that the leader of the free world took four-hours away
from pressing matters of state to host the trio.

Actually, I just smiled and went back to reading Anna Karenina.“All happy families are alike; each unhappy
family is unhappy in its own way.”And,
yes, quoting a Russian novelist is purely coincidental.

Leo Tolstoy

All of which leads me back to wondering about the future.
Not worrying, mind you, wondering.We
are plainly living in interesting times, and as a writer I get to escape to wherever
I wish, whenever I want, metaphysically speaking of course.

And for this moment in time I’m returning to Monday, April
23, 2007.

What a glorious day to be in Orlando.No, not just for Mickey and Minnie, but Jon
and Jennifer, my son and his wife, for on that day they welcomed into our world
their son, and my first grandchild.

Now, ten years later, Azi exemplifies the sort of loving,
gentle, thoughtful soul our world needs to get back on track.May you flourish, my love, and all the rest
of us along with you.

Beautiful child. Congratulations to him and his parents and grandfather.

Yes, our world needs a lot more people like Azi.

I don't even want to read the New York Times many days or watch TV news. Things are going backwards and I hope people resist jingoism, nationalism and attacks on health care, environmental protections, etc.